2025 YEAR END PHOTOS

A polar bear rests on the stairs of an abandoned research station on Koluchin Island off of Chukotka, Russia, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Makhorov)

Global stories of 2025, told in powerful AP photos

In over 200 locations globally, photojournalists with The Associated Press are trusted eyewitnesses to the world’s news, and have won 36 of AP’s 59 Pulitzer Prizes since the award was established in 1917.

· THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Naga Sadhus or Naked Hindu holy men take a bath at the Sangam, the confluence of three sacred rivers the Yamuna, the Ganges and the mythical Saraswati, on Vasant Panchami, during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)

Riveting images of faith and spirituality: 30 of AP’s best religion photos of 2025

Joe Chyuwei, right, Addison Black, front center, James Black, front left, and back row from left, Helen Chyuwei, Jameson Black, Grace Chyuwei and Grayson Black watch the sunset in the heat at Zabriskie Point, Aug. 3, 2025, in Death Valley National Park, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

AP photographers capture destruction, heartache and resilience as climate change advanced in 2025

Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, June 8, 2025, following an immigration raid protest the night before. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

The top 2025 immigration photos by AP’s photojournalists

A girl throws colored powder on her friend as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Mumbai, India, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

AP photos recorded Asia’s many tones in 2025

Protesters chant slogans during a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Aug. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

The top AP photos from the Middle East in 2025: Conflict, courage, and moments of wonder

A woman recites prayers as people mark Prophet Muhammad's birthday, known as Mawlid, in Dakar, Senegal, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu, File)

Photos of moments of joy brought to life by AP photojournalists in 2025

A resident of a senior center is rushed into a vehicle while evacuating as the Eaton Fire approaches, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

The Associated Press’ top photos of 2025 from the US

Bad Bunny performs during the iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

The biggest entertainment and fashion moments of 2025, as seen in AP photos

Mothers cry over the coffins of their children Danylo Nikittskyi, 15, and Alina Kutsenko, 15, killed by a Russian missile, during a funeral ceremony in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

The top AP photos from Ukraine in 2025 show its grief and grit in another year of war

St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II, bottom, scores against the San Francisco Giants on Brendan Donovan's double during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

The top sports photos of 2025 by AP’s photojournalists

Rory McIlroy let his putter fly high, put his head in his hands and dropped to his knees as fans celebrated wildly at Augusta National.

· THE ASSOCIATED PRESS